William adolph leipner and charles brotherhood



(No Model.)

W. A. LEIPNER & G. BROTHERHOOD.

INDICATOR FOR ELECTRIC BELL CIRCUITS. No. 322,619. Patented July 21, 1885.

WITNESSES INVENTORSZ 77271. Adolph lei men N. PETERS, Phowwho n mr. Washington. D. C.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILLIAM ADOLPH LEIPNER AND CHARLES BROTHERHOOD, OF CLIFTON,

COUNTY OF BRISTOL, ENGLAND.

INDICATOR FOR ELECTRIC-BELL CIRCUITS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 322,619, dated July 21, 1885.

Application filed December 2, 1884. (No model.) Patented in England July 1, 1884, No. 9,607, and in Belgium December 31, 1884, No. 67,171.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, VVILLIAM ADoLPH LEIPNER and CHARLES BROTHERHOOD, both of Clifton, county of Bristol, England, have invented an Improved Indicator for Electric- Bell Circuits, &c., of which the following is a specification.

The invention herein set forth has been patented to us in Great Britain, No. 9,607, dated July 1, 188 1, and in Belgium, No. 67,171, dated December 31, 1884..

Ordinarily in ringing an electric bell at a distance by means of an ordinary push-button or other device the person operating the but- 1 5 ton does not know whether the bell has sounded or not, and it is often a matter of great convenience and importance that he should know. By means of our invention the fact of the ringing of the bell is at once made apparent to the person operating the button, and should there be any short circuit or bad connection or other difliculty with the line, so that the bell would not operate, he would be aware of it.

We are aware that such an operation as that above mentioned is not, broadly, new, and do not therefore claim it, our invention being limited to certain improvements.

In the accompanying drawings, Figures 1 and 2 are sectional views illustrating two mod- 0 ifications of the device. The wires 1 Z of the bell-circuit are respectively connected with the bindingposts L L, which are secured on the case of the instrument. \Vithin the easing, which may be of any ordinary construc- 5 tion, is arranged an electromagnet, A, the core (6 of which is preferably prolonged and turned at right angles, as shown, for convenience of construction. Opposite the core a of the magnet an armature, 1), preferably of soft 0 iron, is located. This armature is carried on an arm, B, pivoted at c, and normally drawn away from the magnet by an adjustable coilspring, (I. An adjusting screw, 0, passes through the case and bears upon the arm B in 5 opposition to the tension of the spring, so that by the adjustment of this screw the armature b may be adjusted toward or from the pole of the magnet. A push-button, f, carried on the upper end of a platespring, F, secured within the case, is arranged on the side of the arma 5o ture b opposite the pole of the magnet, and its end, to be pressed by the finger, projects from the case, as shown. The button is formed with a longitudinal central opening, through' which a pin or pointer, 9, carried by the arm- 5 5 ature 1), projects. A eontact-plate, h, through which the pin 9 passes, is preferably arranged 1. between the push-button and the armature I). The wire from the binding-post L is connected with this plate h. The wire from the post L first leads to the coil of the magnet and then from the magnet to the base of the plate-spring F, which carries the push-button. It will be obvious, therefore, that upon pressing the button the upper end of the plate F will be brought into contact with the contact-plate h and the bell'circuit will be completed. The bell, as is well understood, will then, in ringing, automatically make and break its own circuit so as to produce therein a succession of electrical impulses. These impulses magnetize and demagnetize the electro-magnet A, thus causing the vibration of the arm B carrying the armature b. As the armature vibrates the pointer or needle 9 will strike the finger of the person pressing the button, and will thus indicate to him that the bell is ring ing and making and breaking its own circuit.

Of course the details of circuit-connections and of construction may be varied in a vari- 8o ety of ways. The instrument shown is one of convenient and practical construction.

In addition to the pricking action of the pointer g on the finger, we may employ a small bell to indicate to the ear that the distant hell 8;, is ringing. For instance, in this figure we have shown a small hammer, b, carried by the armature I) and projecting from the case so as to strike the bell Z). The bell I) might be omitted, if desired, and the part b enlarged so go as to indicate by its motion merely that the distant bell is ringing.

In Fig. 2 we have shown another modification constructed on the principle of the solenoid. In this case A is a solenoid-coil, the 5 core of which is movable endwise therein, and is normally pressed outward by a coilspring, c, at its base.

The core a carries a pointer, g, which projects through the pushbutton, as in the other modification. The push-button is normally pressed out by a coil spring, 5, supported on the end of the spool of the coil A. \Vhen the button is pushed in, an annular plate, f", on its inner face, makes contact with an annular ring, it, securedin the inside of the casing around the spring F. The wire from the binding-post L is connected with this ring, as shown, while the wire from the binding-post L passes through the solen- 0id-coil A, and from the coil to the metallic platcf on the inner end of the push-button. The operation is precisely the same as in Fig. l.

Ve have merely shown two modifications of the apparatus, but of course the details of construction may be varied to a very great extent; and our invention is, therefore, not limited, in its broadest sense, to the specific organization shown, nor, indeed, to any specific organization, many varieties of which might be illustrated, but itis deemed unnecessary to do so.

Our invention is designed specially for use in electric-bell circuits. Of course, however,

it may be used in any apparatus where the circuit when closed at the operating-point is automatically interrupted for any purpose.

c claim as our invention 1. The combination of the circuit ofa vibrating electric bell or similar apparatus, a push-button or device for completing said circuit to actuate said apparatus, electro-magnetie devices included in said circuit at the puslrbutton, and a pin or pointer actuated by said electromagnetic devices and projecting through the push-button, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of the circuit of a vibrating electric hell or similar apparatus, a push-button and contacts for completing said circuit to operate the bell or apparatus, an electro-magnet included in said circuit at the push-button, its vibrating armature, and a pointer or pin carried by said armature and projecting through the puslrbutton, for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of a vibrating bell or similar apparatus, its circuit, a push-button or device for completing said circuit to operate the bell or other apparatus, elcctro-magnetio devices included in said circuit at the eireuit-eompleter, and a vibrating device actuated by said electromagnetic devices which strikes the hand of the operator and indicates to his touch while operating the circuit-c0mpleter that said apparatus is working.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names.

\VILLIAM ADOLPII LEIPNER. CHARLES BROTHERHOOJ).

\Vitnesses:

ARTHUR H. Kinsley, Tnoims J Annin'r'r. 

